TikTok's Butter Boards Justify Eating Copious Amounts of Butter, and We're Here For It

In theory, slathering butter all over a cutting board and serving it with some bread is more sloppy than gourmet. But scroll through the #butterboard hashtag on TikTok, and you'll quickly understand the hype. Butter boards are assembled by first spreading pats of softened butter onto a platter, then sprinkling on a variety of toppings. The way the ingredients and flavours are carefully curated and arranged into a visually pleasing display gives off a similar vibe to charcuterie boards, and people seem to be loving them just as much.

The trend initially took off when creator and recipe developer Justine Doiron shared a TikTok of herself enjoying the now-viral butter board, a concept she credited to cookbook author Joshua McFadden. McFadden published the original recipe in his 2017 cookbook, "Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables," and five years later, it's taken on a new life through social media. Garden-fresh ingredients, as McFadden described in the book, aren't the most popular choice for TikTokers who are hopping on the trend, but the beauty of the butter board is that the options are endless.

In her viral video, Doiron, better known as @justine_snacks, uses red onions, honey, and various herbs, but others have gotten creative with all kinds of flavours. There's one that uses Desi and South Asian flavours, another that's inspired by baklava, and some just treat theirs as a deconstructed herb butter. With so many different butter boards saturating our TikTok feeds, it's hard to settle on just one.

If you don't know where to start, try sticking to either sweet or savory, and think of ingredients you would spread on an English muffin or use when making a savory toast or garlic bread. For a bit more guidance, you can also find specific steps below on how to make a butter board with flavours suited for a sweet breakfast or snack, along with another savory option you could easily serve with some artisan bread.

Could butter boards be the next charcuterie boards? Only you can decide.

Sweet and Savory Butter Boards

Original Recipe

Ingredients

1. For a sweet butter board:
   1 stick unsalted butter
   1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam
   1/2 teaspoon blueberry compote
   1 lemon, zested
   1/2 teaspoon honey
   1 basil leaf, sliced
   English muffins or toast for serving

1. For a savory butter board:
   1 stick unsalted butter
   4 cloves roasted garlic
   1 teaspoon parsley
   1/2 teaspoon chives
   Crushed red pepper to taste
   Dash of salt and pepper
   Toasted artisan bread

Directions

For the sweet butter board:

1. Dollop and spread softened room-temperature butter onto a cutting board or plate.
2. Spoon the fruit spread onto the butter, alternating between raspberry and blueberry.
3. Sprinkle the lemon zest, and drizzle honey on top.
4. Garnish with fresh basil, and serve with English muffins for brunch or breakfast.

For the savory butter board:

1. Dollop and spread softened room-temperature butter onto a cutting board or plate.
2. Toast garlic in a pan with oil over medium heat until browned, then place onto the butter.
3. Chop parsley and chives, and add to the board along with crushed red pepper.
4. Finish with a dash of salt and pepper, and enjoy with some toasted bread.

Information

Category

Spreads

Yield

8 servings (per butter board)

Total Time

14 minutes, 59 seconds